The mystery behind the Kola Peninsula labyrinths

The mysterious stone labyrinths found in northern Russia may have been beacons for ancient sailors according to researchers.

In
early October 2014 the Kosmopoisk research expedition on the Kola Peninsula in
northwest Russia, an area with five stone labyrinths, came to an end. Some of
these archeological monuments date back to 2,000 B.C., meaning that they are
older than the Egyptian pyramids. Traditional science links the labyrinths to
northern peoples' religious outlooks. However, one of Russia's most well known
researchers of anomalous phenomena, Vadim Chernobrov, the director of Kosmopoisk,
is convinced that the stone patterns served as landmarks for ancient mariners.

Where do these circles come from?

The
most famous labyrinth above Russia's polar circle can be reached by foot from
the little town of Kandalakshi in the southern part of the Kola Peninsula,
about 800 miles from Moscow. The path goes through a pine forest, with volunteers
from a local ecological organization putting up signs so tourists do not
get lost.

The
ancient builders chose a perfectly round peninsula for the labyrinths. The
stone roads are now almost completely covered with grass and moss. There is a
plaque declaring that the archeological monument dates back to 2,000 B.C., the
only reminder of the site’s place in antiquity.

These
types of labyrinths, or Babylons, as scientists call them, are also found on
the coasts of the White Sea and the Barents Sea, in Scandinavian countries and
on the British islands. It is still not clear why they were built and scientists
are divided on the issue. Some think that the labyrinths were used in
shamanistic rituals, while others are convinced of Babylons' utilitarian
nature: they could have been traps for fish or orientation points for seafarers.

"The
sailors had to place marks on safe plots of land," says Chernobrov.
"And it was even more important to indicate the place where they could
push out from the coast towards the open sea. In antiquity, fearing storms,
mariners tried to navigate along the coast, but in many places it made sense to
shorten the route through straits, gulfs and the open sea. The labyrinths were
points of a guiding thread, leading the navigators along the coast.

Theories and evidence

In
order to prove their theory, members of the expedition used geometric
constructions that determine how far the labyrinths could be seen from the sea.
Chernobrov believes that the labyrinths were intentionally given a round form
so that the pattern could be seen at a distance of several miles independently
of the sun's position during the entire polar day.

During
the expedition researchers frequently noticed that the labyrinth is never found
in the shade of cliffs or trees and that the sunlight always makes it stand out
if observed against a gloomy landscape. It is even noticeable when covered with
moss and lichen. Even in the winter, when covered by a thick layer of snow, the
pattern can be seen clearly.

Kosmopoisk's
version of events is not considered mainstream in scientific circles. Most
scientists believe that the Babylons were used by ancient peoples for religious
rituals, such as when appealing to deities for an abundance of fish. The round
patterns could have been guides into the kingdom of the dead or for detaining
the soul of a deceased person so that it could not enter the world of the
living.

Scientists
say that the version about the labyrinths being beacons is not scientific.
"Can an exponent of this theory name at least one historical reference in
which a real mariner reported how the labyrinth helped him orient towards
land?" asks Konstantin Kotkin, researcher at the Murmansk Region Local
History Museum. "Most likely not. I am not familiar with these sources.
And science is supported precisely by this type of information."

Catching a fish in the labyrinth

There
is another version in the documents describing the labyrinths. Since the
Babylons were built next to the sea in places abundant with fish, they could
have been used as traps. The fish could have been brought into the confused
patterns with the flow of the tide and then might not have been able to find
their way back as the water ebbed. However, this theory also has not received
much recognition.

According
to Kotkin, in order for ancient people to feed themselves in this manner, it
would have been necessary to build an enormous number of labyrinths with one at
each location where fishermen threw out their nets, which is difficult to
imagine.

Another
debatable question is the date of the labyrinths. Scientists in the middle of
the 20th century estimated them to be 4,000 years old. Contemporary
researchers, however, say that the stone patterns are much younger. They
determine their age by the height of the lichen growing inside the labyrinths.
Unfortunately, no one has any concrete proof.

"Science
is incapable of unequivocally solving the problem of the age or the purpose of
the labyrinths," says Kotkin. "The monuments don't tell us anything
about themselves and it is very difficult to prove any of the theories.
Therefore any one of them is as good as the other. It is important that the
theories are supported by real facts. However, all in all, without a doubt the
labyrinths are valuable archeological findings that demonstrate the uniqueness
of the Russian North."